The present invention relates to an apparatus for guiding a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), which connects a main body and a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit of a mobile terminal electrically; and, more particularly, to a guiding apparatus for guiding a FPCB that can protect the FPCB from damages caused by frequent contacts, absorb the switching impact caused by a hinge, and stop the LCD unit at a predetermined angle.
Generally, a mobile terminal incorporates a main body provided with a battery (not shown), a keypad including such input keys as number buttons, a power button and function buttons, a printed circuit board (PCB)(not shown) inside for transforming the input signals of the keypad into signals, and a mike in the bottom portion; a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit provided with a speaker (not shown) at the top portion and an LCD screen for displaying the data inputted from the keypad of the main body; and a hinge unit for connecting the main body and the LCD unit and folding and unfolding them smoothly. The PCB of the main body and the LCD screen of the LCD unit are connected by a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) electrically.
The structure of a conventional FPCB for connecting the main body and the LCD unit is described herein, with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing part of a main body of a conventional mobile terminal provided with a guide case, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating part of an LCD unit connected with the guide case of the main body.
As illustrated in the drawings, the conventional FPCB guide has a guiding hole 2a formed in the guide case 2 of the LCD unit 1, where the hinge unit (not shown) is formed, in the direction of the guide case length. The FPCB 3 coming out from the LCD unit 1 is connected to the PCB of the main body 4 through a connection hole 5a formed in the cylindrical connector connected with one end of the guide case 2 at one side of the main body 4.
The conventional FPCB guide, however, causes unintentional winding or twists in guiding the FPCB and it may make cracks at the corner of the FPCB. In addition, it can cause noise or short circuit due to the interference between the FPCB and the FPCB guide case, thereby dropping product reliability.
Also, the conventional FPCB guide has a problem that it cannot absorb the impact supplied to the main body or the LCD unit of a mobile terminal when it is folded and unfolded. It also has a shortcoming that it cannot maintain the LCD unit at an arbitrary angle freely.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for guiding a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) of a mobile terminal that can cushion the switching force caused by a hinge and stop the LCD unit at an arbitrary angle, as well as improve the product reliability by preventing the FPCB from any damage.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for guiding a flexible printed circuit board that electrically connects the main body and the liquid crystal display unit of a mobile terminal, which are connected by a hinge, comprising: a body corresponding to the inner diametral shape of a guide case of the liquid crystal display unit, in which the hinge is formed; a guiding groove that is formed to a predetermined length in the axial direction from one end of the body; a pair of guide protrusions that are extended from the circumferential portion of the other end of the body in the axial direction with a predetermined width and facing to each other; and a pair of connection protrusions that are extended from the circumferential portion of the other end of the body in parallel with the guiding groove and facing to each other.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing part of a main body of a mobile terminal, provided with a guide case according to a prior art;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating part of a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit connected with the guide case of the main body according to a prior art;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view describing an apparatus for guiding a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing how the FPCB is guided in the guiding apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the guiding apparatus provided with a frictional force generating means in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a plane figure describing the internal structure of a mobile terminal using the guiding apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a front view showing the mobile terminal of FIG. 6, cut along the line Ixe2x80x94I;
FIG. 8 is a disassembled perspective view describing the process of mounting the guiding apparatus on the mobile terminal in accordance with the present invention;
FIGS. 9A to 9C are cross-sectional views showing the sides of the main body folded with the LCD unit, which are cut along the lines IIxe2x80x94II, IIIxe2x80x94III and IVxe2x80x94IV in the mobile terminal of FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively; and
FIGS. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views showing the sides of the main body unfolded from the LCD unit, which are cut along the lines IIxe2x80x94II, IIIxe2x80x94III and IVxe2x80x94IV in the mobile terminal of FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively.